Anode package



R. H. LONG ANODE PACKAGE Jan. 20, 1953 Filed Aug. 18, 1949 BY UM #fiw 42H L an mmvron.

Patented Jan. 20, 1953 *7 AN ODE PACKAGE Robert H. Long, BrooklynVillage, Ohio, assignor to The Harshaw Chemical Company, Cleveland,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 18, 1949, Serial No.110,919

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to a special packageadapted to facilitate the shipping and handling of electrodepositionanodes.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to attachskids to packing boxes to enable them to be handled more conveniently. Iam aware, also, that platforms provided with feet for the purpose ofspacing them from a supporting floor and straps to hold a load thereonhave been known for a long time. Accordingly, I do not claim broadly apackage with skids attached but only the improved special anode packagehaving skids associated with the anode bars in a simple and advantageousmanner as will now be specifically described in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a package inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the packageshown in Fig. l and Fig. 3 is an end view thereof looking from left toright in Fig. 1. I

In the electroplating industry, metal is supplied to the electroplatingsolution most frequently in the form of elongated bars which have oneend provided with a supporting hook for hanging the anode on a bus bar,or it may be drilled and tapped so that the electroplater himselfattached the hook, using the same one repeatedly, and purchases theanode bar in lengths suitable to his need and having, one end drilledand tapped with a standard sized opening and thread to receive the hookwhich he has on hand. If the hook is not reused, it may anyway be soldseparately and attached to the anode bar by the electroplater.- Thepresent invention has to do with the handling and packaging of anodes'ofthis sort, that is, bars of lengths usually in the order of 24 to 60inches and which ordinarily are of approximately ellipticalcrosssection. These bars may be of a size such that they weigh about apound per inch of length, or of other size as desired. It can be seenthat if a package should consist of 20 bars each 40 inches long andweighing one pound per inch of length, the weight of such a packagewould be about 800 pounds plus the packaging material and that such apackage would need to be handled by power machinery. It is commonpractice to handle heavy material by power operated lift trucks bystacking the material on pallets. Such a method can be used to handleanodes but it is not satisfactory unless th anodes are crated.

In accordance with the present invention, the crating of the anodes iseliminated and a combined package and skid is formed by the simpleexpedient of placing a plurality of anodes in parallel relation on aplurality of skid bars and tying the anodes to the skid bars whereby theskid bars themselves become the only crating material necessary otherthan the securing means for tying the bars thereto, and the parallel'anode bars are at the same time held in the form of a firm package bythe skids and hold the skids in position to form the equivalent of apallet. In this way I solve the problem of securing the bars togetherand at the same time facilitate the handling of the package by a lifttruck or the like. I l 1 Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0indicates the anode bars standing on edge as best seen in Fig. 3.Extending at right angles to the anode bars ID are skids II which maytake the form of wooden beams of, for example, 4" x 4" cross-sectionwhich need not be returned to the shipper. In order to secure the skidsII to the anode bars I0, I provide ties I2 which may take the form ofmetal straps, and secure them to the skids H by passing them around theanode bars I0 and through the openings I5 in the skids II. notassociated with any skid bar may be secured in place in any suitablemanner as by overlapping and spot-welding as indicated at I4. Othermeansof securing the ends of the straps together may be employed as willbe understood by persons skilled in the packaging art. The top portionof the tie extends along the top of the anode pack in contact with thetop edges of the anode bars, a distance approximately equal to the sumof the maximum thicknesses of said bars less the difierence between theminimum and maximum thicknesses of one of said bars. The side portion ofthe ties are continuous with the top portion at each end thereof andextend downwardly along the curved surfaces of the anode bars at theends of the pack and pass through the openings I5 in the skids I I, andare connected by the bottom portion I2 which is of a lengthapproximating the sum of the maximum thicknesses of the anode bars. Inview of the peculiar shape of the anode bars as shown, it is desirableto make use of the center strap I3 to afford a more rigid package.

It is not essential that the straps I2 pass through openings such asthose I5, but it is feasible to make the skid bars shorter or even ofthe same length with respect to the width of the anode pack and pass thestraps around the ends thereof securing them by means of a staple or anotched construction at the end of a bar or The straps I2 as well as acenter strap I3 across the top of the anode bars and under the other endof the skid bars a plurality of 'turns and the ends then twistedtogether. "These various securing means have in common the essentialfeature of securing the anode bars to the transverse skid bars in asecure fashion so. that .these elliptical cylinders may be arranged asshown in Fig. 3 and may make a firm easily handled package. I find thisarrangement more effective than a 'plurality'of layersyof these barslying-flat on'their sides.

ber a plurality of layers arranged flatwise.

Two layers may be arranged on edge with a separator between such asstrips overlying the skids and the ties applied as above described.

While I have not illustrated any protectivecoveringnit maybe-desirableto wrap the package illustrated. with burlap, Daper'or thelike to keep the anode bars clean and avoid introduction of any foreignmaterials into the electroplating bath.

While I have shown and described the preferred'embodiment of myinvention, it is obvious that variations may be made, some of which havebeen indicated above, and I, therefore, desire to be limited only inaccordance with the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apackage comprising a plurality of parallel anode bars of generallyelliptical cross-section arranged on edge in a pack one anode thick,each anodebar having a side in contact with the side of an adjacent bar,and a plurality of rigid skids secured to said anode bars on the sameside thereof in contact with the edges thereof and extendingatapproximately right angles thereto, eachof said skidshaving a pair ofspaced openings extending therethrough, said skids being secured to saidanode bars in the relative posi-- tion. aforesaid by means of ties eachpassing around said bars transversely thereof through said openings andaround a portion of a skid longitudinally thereof, each said tie havinga top. portion extending across the package adjaeent to the edges ofsaid .bars remote from said :skids and said portion being of a lengthapproximately equal to the sum of the maximum A single layer on edgeresults in a firmer package than the same numthicknesses of said barsless the difference between the minimum and maximum thicknesses of oneof said bars, side portions continuous with said top portion at each endthereof and passing downwardly adjacent a curved surface of an anode barand a bottom portion connecting said side portions and being of a lengthapproximating the sum of the maximum thicknesses of said anode bars, andsaid skids being longer than the sum of the maximum thicknesses of saidbars.

2,.A package comprising a plurality of parallel anode bars of generallyelliptical cross-section arranged on edge in a pack one anode thick,aeach anode .bar having a side in contact with the side of an adjacentbar, and a plurality of rigidskids-secured to said anode bars on thesame side thereof "in contact with the edges thereof and extending atapproximately right angles thereto, each of .said skids having a pair ofspaced openings extending therethrough, said skids being secured tosaid, anode :bars .in the relative position aforesaid by means oftieseach passing around saidbars transversely thereof through saidopenings and around a portion of a skid longitudinally thereof, eachsaid tie hav ing a top portion extending across the package adjacent tothe edges of said bars remote from said skids and said portion being ofa .length approximately equal to the sumof the maximum- 7 thicknesses ofsaid bars less the difference. be-

tween the minimum and maximum thicknesses of one of said bars, sideportions continuous with said top portion at each end thereof andpassing downwardly adjacent a curved surface ofvan anode bar and abottom portion connecting said side portions and being of a lengthapproximating the sum of the maximum thick-1 nesses of said anode bars,said skids being longer than the sum of the maximum thicknesses of saidbars, and a tie disposed intermediate said skids and extending aroundsaid bars whereby to hold the latter more firmly against displacementwith respect to each other.

ROBERT H. LONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,,5851647 Bayles .May 4, 19261,613,542 Ludwig Feb. '22, 1927' 2,004,626 Hann June 11, 1935 2,300,059,7 Perry Oct. 27 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date' 519,119 GermanyFeb. 24,1931

